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Weather prognostications

Farmers have a large number of sayings that are used to foretell the weather and other unpredictable phenomena such as their spouses. One aphorism that springs to mind is “Early Easter, early spring.” That maxim seems to be holding up this year. Clouds of snow geese were seen honking their way northward over our farm in the last week of February and I spotted my first robin during the first days of March. This can only be bad news for the robins, because another farmer proverb goes, “There has to be three snows on the robin’s back before it can be spring.” We are overdue ...

Luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday that involves wearing green and drinking green beer. If taken to an extreme, the green beer part can cause you to actually turn green. Not that I have any experience with that, mind you. I can’t wear a “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” button on St. Patrick’s Day or any other day. According to 23AndMe I am 100% Norwegian, which confirms that I’m the whitest guy on the planet. My wife is a genetic mishmash. While the bulk of her DNA is from Germany, France, and Holland, she also has a smattering of genes from Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom. ...

Minnesotans should have final say on the new state flag and seal

Friends and neighbors: Our state flag and seal have represented the people of Minnesota for generations, but in just one session, members of the majority party decided to get rid of our current state flag and seal. The new state flag and seal came about through a provision in last year’s state government finance budget bill, which created the State Emblems Redesign Commission. As a result, a group of thirteen unelected people were brought together to redesign our state emblems. Though I have heard from members of our community that they are unhappy with the final designs ...

Schedule life-saving exam to stop colon cancer

This year, more than 150,000 new colorectal cancers will be diagnosed, and some 52,000 Americans will die of the disease. With the help of your medical local providers, you can help turn the tide. When found early, these cancers are treatable. In fact, they are even preventable. That’s why we encourage you to talk to your doctor about screening options and what’s best for you. How is colon cancer found? The gold standard screening test is colonoscopy. In addition to finding cancer in its earliest stages, it’s the only exam that can find precancerous polyps in your colon ...

Election predictions: area counties likely to vote Republican in 2024

This week we had Super Tuesday, the biggest primary election day of the campaign which in 2024 included Minnesota. President Biden and former President Trump won easily in the presidential race. The numbers show that our region is trending toward Republican candidates. I predict Trump and local Republican legislative candidates will win in the region. The DFL has an uphill climb. The candidate who has a good chance of winning locally is Sen. Amy Klobuchar. It will help to have Klobuchar on the ticket. When statewide voters are factored in she should easily cruise to a fourth term. ...

A spirited evening

Bourbon, beer, and barbecue are among my favorite things that begin with the letter “b.” It was only natural that I felt compelled to attend the Bourbon, Beer, and Barbecue tasting event held recently at Valiant Vineyards and Distillery, located in Vermillion, South Dakota. As my wife and I strolled into Valiant Vineyards’ tasting room, my eye fell upon long tables that held rows of bottles of distilled spirits. There were spirits from all across the nation along with some that had been produced in Europe and Asia. It was just like the United Nations except with a higher alcohol ...